I Believe That We Will Win
by Courage and Love
Summary: During a game of American football, an angry player is akumatized into a new villain bent on winning once and for all. Marinette and Adrien jump into action, naturally, but will Ladybug and Chat Noir come out on top? If so, at what cost? And why does the whole crowd keep chanting about winning?
1. Kickoff

**Welcome, one and all. Yes, I have been sucked into this fandom against my will. I had to do a lot of research on American football, also known as football, gridiron, or gridiron football, for this undertaking. All references to football are referring to the American version unless specifically stated otherwise.**

 **Despite the countless articles I have read on the subject, not all of my information is accurate, either due to oversight or plot convenience.**

 **I do not own Miraculous Ladybug, nor do I think any of this would happen or should happen. All of this is based off an idea that came to us ( _Courage and Love_ ) and _weebqueen101_ at a football game. This is dedicated to her.**

* * *

 _"I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win!"_

Marinette Dupain-Cheng tightened her coat around herself and shivered. It was a wet autumn afternoon, and she was in the midst of the first American football game of the school year. Alya was on her left, cheering enthusiastically, and Nino was on her right, whooping as their team scored a point.

Normally, none of them would have attended as they were more interested in other activities, but this year, three of their classmates were on the team. Ivan, Kim, and… _Adrien_.

Marinette suppressed a dreamy sigh. He looked so different from the other players on the team, so much more amazing. More extraordinary. Probably very few people knew the lengths it had taken for him to even try out for the team.

American football was different from other sports for the reason that it tended to result in more injuries than others. Naturally, Gabriel Agreste had been adamant about not letting his son play, but when Adrien rallied the entire student body against him, he relented on the condition that by no means would he be allowed to continue if he suffered even the slightest injury. Adrien took the deal.

 _"I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win!"_

The students of Françoise Dupont were cheering loudly, using a popular English chant in place of France's most common World Cup cheer because the opposing team had begun using that already at the start of the game, and Alya had decided to change up their own school's chant to be unique. Chloé and Sabrina were the only ones not participating, of course.

"Come on, Adrikins!" Chloé exclaimed, standing to the side of the bleachers and paying more attention to the pictures she was taking of the model with her phone than the game itself. Her redheaded underling gave dirty looks to anyone who violated the personal space of the mayor's daughter.

Marinette normally would have been disgusted with her nemesis for having only one reason for attending the game, but she was guilty of the same thing. Her eyes never left Adrien, tracking him as he made passes and _totally rocked_ the padded uniform.

He was number 13. His position was… well, Marinette didn't know, but if she asked Nino he would tell her. Not that she would know what it meant anyway. And he was dazzling.

 _"I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win!"_

"–inette? Marinette!"

Marinette snapped her head up to look at Alya, who seemed annoyed.

"I called your name five times, M. What's the matter? Can't hear over the crowd, or is a _certain someone_ taking up all your concentration?"

Marinette flushed but nodded, and Alya shook her head knowingly. "I won't bother you, then."

She snapped her fingers. "Tell you what; Nino and I are going to go grab some snacks, and you keep an eye on the game. Want anything?"

Marinette smiled, declining, and Alya dragged Nino out of the bleachers and through the crowd. Marinette watched them push past Chloé and Sabrina before turning her attention back to Adrien.

The helmeted boy hadn't made any major passes yet due to the position he played, but he was putting all of his effort into the game, she could tell. More effort than Kim or Ivan in her opinion.

 _"I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win!"_

"The chances of our team winning the game are approximately 89.9 percent," she overheard Max say from his seat a row above her. "By my calculations – _no, that's not a 'nerd phrase,' Alix_ – our players are exceedingly proficient compared to the opposing team. The only way they could steal back the victory is if the other team's star quarterback, _Vincent Monteil,_ fakes a forward pass to the wide receiver in a trick play with our team falling for it."

Marinette turned in her spot to face her classmate. She found him, Alix, and Mylène deep in conversation. Mylène waved at her.

"You sure know a lot about gridiron football, Max," the short girl said, turning her attention back to the others. She sounded surprised, with good reason.

"I studied," he answered proudly. "Besides, I like sports. Just because I prefer gaming doesn't mean I can't enjoy both. Sports are just memorization and statistical analysis, anyway."

"You just _had_ to take all the fun out of it," Alix grumbled, resting her cheek on her propped-up knee. "But I love American football. Running, shoving, and tackling are my three favorite things."

"And making bets that Kim gets a concussion from tonight's game," Max added.

"That, too."

"He might," Mylène said, studying the field. "Vincent Monteil is scary. I hope Ivan doesn't get tackled by someone that big."

Marinette looked back at the game. It was easy to pick out the tallest player on the opposing team. She suddenly felt very worried for Adrien.

A whistle was blown. Vincent Monteil started the kickoff, and while Marinette didn't know the proper terminology, she could see him running down the field, ball in hand. Then, suddenly, he was blocked by two players, and she suppressed a gasp when he crashed into the first and his arms slammed into the second. Marinette saw a flash of yellow being tossed onto the field – the penalty flag.

"Is that normal for American football?" Mylène asked Max and Alix worriedly. "I've never been to a game before."

"Me neither," Marinette murmured, not blinking in fear of missing something. The referee was walking onto the gridiron field, waving his hands a lot. The two players on their team were on the ground, and the referee helped them up.

"Vincent went for the trick play," Max translated, adjusting his glasses. "He hit number 24 hard – that's Kim, if I'm not mistaken. My guess is that it was by accident, and it was certainly accidental when Vincent violated the regulation of no chop-blocks being allowed when he rammed number 13."

" _Number 13?_ " Marinette repeated in alarm, springing from her seat. Adrien!

He and Kim seemed to be all right, but she couldn't really tell from her viewpoint. The referee led them to the sidelines. She could see Vincent Monteil shouting and waving his arms. A man, possibly a coach, strode over to him, probably with the intent to calm him down, but the large football player shrugged him off. The spectators on Marinette's side were still cheering loudly, but the kids from the other school had quieted to whispers, watching their star player anxiously.

"15 yard penalty," Alix said, reclining on her tier of the bleachers, "and Monteil's not taking it well."

 _"I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win!"_

Marinette's brow furrowed. She desperately wanted to know if Adrien was okay, but it wasn't like she could find out without actually walking onto the gridiron field. Maybe Alya and Nino would be able to find out from the people near the snack stand. She would have to ask them once they returned.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice when the marching band began to play on the field. Looking up in confusion, she said, "What's going on?"

"It's half-time," Max replied, uncharacteristically brief. He seemed absorbed in the band's music, tapping the rhythm on his leg.

"Oh." Marinette didn't know what half-time entailed, but she guessed the players would be taking a relatively long break. If Adrien was hurt he would be resting now, which was good.

 _"I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win!"_

For some reason, Marinette's school was still chanting, despite the fact that the teams were no longer playing. The cheer had decreased in strength, but it was still discernable in the cacophony of instruments and voices.

Mere seconds after the chant's most recent verse finished, a blinding light flashed in the sky. The whole crowd gasped, ducking when something rocketed to the center of the gridiron field.

It was an akuma; that much was obvious. It seemed to be the biggest one by far. Marinette groaned, knowing she would have to slip away in the chaos and transform.

The akumatized person's eyes flashed white-hot. "No," he growled in response to the crowd's abruptly ceased cheer. " _I_ believe that _I_ will win."

* * *

Vincent Monteil was angry. He hadn't meant to shove that scrawny kid or slam into the taller one, but the referee thought it had been intentional. 15 yard penalty. That play had been his team's last resort. There was no hope of winning the game now.

When the whistle blew to signal half-time, he wasted no time in storming off the playing field. His teammates didn't come after him. Why should they? He was known at his school for being a sore loser, although he was widely respected for his talent.

Vincent stomped past the locker room where his teammates would be headed. There was a small area around the corner outside, which was completely in shadow in the evening light. Vincent stopped there, pressing his back against the wall as he took off his helmet.

"I did _not_ deserve a penalty," he spat aloud, throwing his helmet roughly to the ground. Unnoticed by him, a black butterfly glowing with dark violet magic landed on the discarded headgear.

"Most Valuable Player," a voice, smooth and deep, said suddenly in his ear. It seemed to touch his very soul. "I can offer you revenge on the opposing team, if you do a favor for me in return. Bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous, and you will never be on the losing side again."

Vincent smiled. That sounded like the perfect offer.

"I accept."

He scooped up his helmet, and dark magic spread across his form. Things were about to get interesting.


	2. Half-Time

**Fifteen minutes till the Super Bowl! Enjoy!**

 _Number 13._

It was hilarious, in Adrien's opinion. He, the wielder of misfortune, the personification of bad luck, had been given the unluckiest number on the team. He hadn't even put in a request for that particular number; it was just sheer, dumb luck. Priceless!

He had tried to share the irony with his kwami, but Plagg, being Plagg, didn't care.

His exact words were "Adrien, I don't care," in fact.

Adrien was sitting on a bench on the sidelines of the gridiron field, contemplating his decision to join the American football team. It had felt good to join a sport other than something chosen for him, and it had felt especially great to rebel against his father. But maybe association football, known in some countries as soccer, would have been a better choice than American football. If the throbbing in his head was any indication, that would certainly have been safer.

But in any case, he wasn't going to admit he was wrong now. Plus, it was sort of fun. He hadn't made any important passes yet, but his teammates were supportive and he worked hard, as he did with everything in his life.

"Are you done yet?" Plagg hissed from his hiding spot under the bench. He had voted to stay inside the locker room, but Adrien wanted him near in case of an akuma attack. Knowing gridiron football players, someone was bound to get upset over something.

"We're not even at the last quarter yet," Adrien replied, trying to be discreet around his teammates and the thousands of people in the stands. "It's half-time."

"As if I know what that is."

Adrien's teammates began heading towards the locker room, so Plagg zipped through the air in a black blur along with Adrien to keep up. They hadn't gone far, though, when a flash of light so bright Adrien had to shield his eyes lit up the sky above him.

Both teams gasped in unison, ducking instinctively, but Adrien knew in the pit of his stomach that his prediction had come to pass. And when the akumatized villain alighted on the field, he realized with a start that it was the same guy who had slammed into him not ten minutes ago.

"I am Most Valuable Player," the supervillain said menacingly. His glowing eyes, heavy green uniform-like suit, and matching upgraded helmet made him almost unrecognizable (but luckily, Adrien considered himself very observant when it came to recognizing people in and out of costume).

The stands erupted into pandemonium. People stampeded out of the bleachers, crowding in their panic to escape. The football players and officials weren't much better.

Adrien clenched his fists, looking to Plagg. The cat kwami rolled his eyes.

"Say the magic words, Adrien."

Adrien raced off the field against the tide of bodies, taking shelter behind the locker room entrance. Only someone utterly crazy would still be hanging around back there, where there was no action and no safety.

Luckily, Chat Noir fit the bill for "utterly crazy." (Utterly crazy about _Ladybug_ , he punned in his head, reserving that for later.)

"Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

"I hope Adrien will be okay," Marinette fretted to Tikki as she searched for a place to transform.

"He will be fine, Marinette," her kwami assured, flying just out of sight in the melee. "And even if he's not, you're Ladybug! You'll fix everything."

That was not what Marinette wanted to hear. Swallowing nervously, she looked around frantically. There was Nino – Alya, too. Of course, the latter was filming the akuma action with her phone as she was dragged away by her arm. A bunch of gridiron players and assorted classmates were shoving people out of the way in their haste to escape; she spotted Kim among them. Ivan had found Mylène and was using his size to clear a path for her.

No one would notice if one girl slipped behind the stands and magically transformed into their savior, right?

Marinette would have to chance it. There was no way she would be able to find a safer place from where she was.

Slipping behind the towering bleachers, she was thankful there was still some daylight left; otherwise, the bright flash of her transformation would surely be noticed.

"Tikki, spots on!"

After the light died down, Ladybug unleashed her yo-yo and launched into the crowd.

* * *

Alya had been feeling bored before the akuma struck.

There were plenty of things she could have been doing. Homework, for one. Research on her favorite superhero, for another. Updating the fonts and formatting of the Ladyblog, for a third. But nooo, she was at a match – excuse her, a _game_ – for a sport nobody in France liked that much anyway. Yeah, she wanted to support her friends and her classmates. But the game was seriously dragging on.

She wouldn't have admitted it, but she had been glad when the sky lit up like a firework and an akumatized villain arrived. She felt immediately guilty about it, but it was true.

Suddenly, Ladybug leaped over the crowd, shouting at all the civilians to make room. It was a pity that the away game wasn't in the middle of the city. The spotted heroine didn't have any tall buildings to swing from.

The supervillain growled at her appearance. "Ladybug. Give me your Miraculous, or else these _fanatics_ will not leave this field alive."

"We're supporters, not fanatics!" Alya couldn't help but call out. Nino grabbed her arm and made her duck into the panicking crowd.

"Not a chance, Most Valuable Player," Ladybug cried, swinging her yo-yo in an arc and landing a crushing blow to the villain's head. It didn't seem to have any effect, however. His head must have been protected by his enhanced helmet.

Most Valuable Player laughed at her attempt. Soaring into the air, he aimed a gloved hand at the crowd.

"Very well!" he snarled, and a blast of blue energy discharged from his fingers. Alya gasped and ducked along with the rest of the crowd, but the light passed over them, hitting the gate around the field and stands. Suddenly, an electric force field went up around the entire area.

"Dude," Nino breathed in dismay, "that's not good."

"There will be no escape," Most Valuable Player declared, turning to Ladybug. "Hand over your Miraculous!"

"Not so fast, Peyton Manning," a voice said teasingly. The whole crowd turned as one to see Chat Noir, balancing on his extended baton.

The supervillain (as well as Ladybug, Alya, and most of the crowd) was nonplussed. "I am Most Valuable Player," he said. "Who is this 'Peyton Manning'?"

"You know, the famous American football player? Am I the only one who keeps track of the NFL?" Chat Noir asked.

"NFL?" Alya whispered in Nino's ear.

"National Football League," he responded. "Not _football_ football. American football. Adrien and I sometimes watch it when we're chilling. Speaking of my bro, where is he?"

Alya shrugged, standing on her toes to see Most Valuable Player and Chat Noir better. She could only hope that Adrien was safe, as well as Marinette.

"I don't understand what you are talking about," Most Valuable Player said, "and I don't care. Ladybug and Chat Noir, give me your Miraculouses or I will take them from your _corpses_."

"I think we've already established our answer," Chat said, leaning forward on his baton and lunging at the supervillain.

"Chat Noir, look out!" Ladybug called, but Alya saw that it was too late.

 _WHAM!_

Most Valuable Player rammed his helmeted head into Chat Noir's, and the cat-themed superhero fell backwards off his baton and crumpled, falling from the sky from more than twenty meters up…

Ladybug's fast reflexes were the only thing that saved him from crashing onto the gridiron field. Her yo-yo lassoed him, pulling him into her arms. Alya would have snapped a picture for the LadyNoir section on her blog had the situation not been so serious.

" _Chat Noir!_ " the superheroine cried, laying her partner on the ground. Luckily, he wasn't unconscious, as apparent by his moan of pain.

"Bugaboo… I'm _feline_ fine; it's okay…"

He didn't look fine in Alya's opinion, but if he was punning, then he would survive.

"This will show you all! I will win _everything_!" Most Valuable Player shouted, soaring through the air to attack the super duo. Unprepared, Ladybug stood to protect Chat Noir, but Most Valuable Player hit her like a frieght train. He didn't play American football for nothing.

There were no buildings to swing from. Ladybug really was out of her element. All she could do was try to fight back, but to be honest, it looked like she was having trouble fighting in close quarters. Her opponent was bigger and stronger, slamming into her with enough force to keep her from leaping above him. Ladybug could have probably dodged him and defeated him with a spinning kick, but it looked like she was trying to draw his attention away from her fallen partner. Alya spared a moment to marvel at her hero's selflessness. And snap a picture.

But Ladybug couldn't hold out alone forever, especially against such a brutal akuma.

"Lucky Cha‒"

Most Valuable Player gave a mighty roar, smashing his helmeted head into hers with a crack.

"Ah!" The spotted heroine's eyes rolled back into her head, and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious. There was a flash, and a spotted object fell next to her. Her Lucky Charm.

Alya met Nino's eyes in alarm. This was _not good_. The crowd seemed to share her fear, roiling agitatedly.

Her boyfriend summed it up.

"Dude… we're toast."


	3. I Believe in Chat Noir

**Sorry for the long wait! Here's a silly chapter to make you forgive me!**

* * *

Chat Noir was seeing stars, in more ways than one.

First, in the figurative sense, because his head was spinning from his poorly-planned attack on Most Valuable Player. Based on his run-in with Vincent Monteil before the akuma, he probably should have predicted this would happen, but thinking things through wasn't exactly his specialty.

Secondly, there was a very real, very dazzling star right above him. Her name was Ladybug.

Chat Noir decided to keep that one to himself. It would surely hurt if she slapped him in his condition.

"Bugaboo… I'm _feline_ fine; it's okay…" he managed, not attempting to sit up. Plus, he realized his head was resting on her lap. All the more reason to stay where he was.

The worried face disappeared from his vision as the villain spoke again. Ladybug extricated herself from underneath Chat's head, much to his disappointment, and stood.

There came the sound of combat. Most Valuable Player gave some threats, but Ladybug didn't respond, which was unusual. Was she that focused? Everyone thought of Chat Noir as the one with the battle quips, but his Bugaboo had her fair share of them, too. Why was she so silent?

With difficulty, Chat Noir pushed himself to his side and sat up, wincing at his throbbing head. He wasn't really dizzy, and his eyesight was clear. Did that mean he didn't have a concussion? He'd never had one, nor had he known anyone with one, so he couldn't guess.

Suddenly, he heard her call for her Lucky Charm. Her voice was immediately cut short, and he heard her gasp.

Ladybug was in trouble.

That thought in mind, Chat Noir pushed himself the rest of the way to his feet, taking in the scene. His heart immediately plummeted to the bottom of his leather boots.

Most Valuable Player had knocked Ladybug out. The supervillain was laughing deeply, congratulating himself on a job well done; now he was going to take Ladybug's Miraculous. There was nothing anyone could do about it.

Except for Chat Noir. Without thinking of the consequences, he snatched his baton and vaulted over the field, slamming feet first into the football-themed villain.

Most Valuable Player was taken by surprise, falling forward. Chat Noir followed up with a sweeping of his baton, knocking his opponent to the ground.

"The bank called!" he began, following that with a kick and a dodge. "They want their quarterback."

The akumatized villain roared. "I will crush you, Chat Noir! Your Miraculous will be mine!"

"'Be mine'?" Chat repeated, narrowly dodging an attack. He realized quickly that staying out of headbutting range was the best way to stay in the game. "Sounds like something I'd say to my Bugaboo over there." He gestured behind him.

He heard a groan. Good; she was awake. Most of Chat's nervous tension evaporated, and he found himself moving faster. Every fiber in his being was begging to check on her, but he knew she would smack him if he got them both captured.

But of course, Chat Noir had the drawback of misfortune on his side. Most Valuable Player managed to get in a lucky hit, slamming Chat Noir into the turf. "Your humor…" He gritted his teeth, as if trying to think of the right word. "Your puns… are terrible. I'll be glad to never hear them again."

Chat donned a grin. "My football _punts_ are _claw_ some."

Snatching Ladybug's unused Lucky Charm off the ground, he kicked Most Valuable Player hard in the chest, scrambling away seconds before the supervillain could bash him in the head.

It didn't leave a lasting impact on Most Valuable Player at all, but it served its purpose. No, Chat corrected internally, its _purr_ pose. He managed to dart to a safer distance, soaring into the air on his baton, Lucky Charm in hand.

Ladybug's powers were _spot-on_ , as always. The magical object was a red and black football helmet.

It didn't take someone as clever and talented as Ladybug to know how to use it.

"Hey, MVP!" he shouted, keeping himself in between the villain and his semiconscious partner. "Ready to be beaten at your own game?"

He jammed the helmet over his cat ears, which were very uncomfortable in their squished position, but it wasn't like it mattered at the moment. Holding himself tall, he readied his baton and stole a glance at Ladybug. She was still collapsed on the ground, unmoving.

Suddenly, Chat became aware of a chant, starting off faint but growing in power. It seemed to start with a small group from his school, being taken up by the gridiron players and eventually the supporters of the other team. Even to his enhanced hearing, the words were muddled together, until at last they became intelligible to him, carrying across the field.

 _"_ _I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir!"_

Most Valuable Player bellowed with rage, shooting powerful blasts of magic at the crowd, but although they screamed and ducked, the cheer continued, unwavering.

 _"_ _I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir!"_

"Does anyone have a whistle to start this off?" Chat quipped, twirling his baton. He was touched by the support – did he really have so many fans? – but it only seemed to make the supervillain angrier.

A random referee huddling in the crowd blew a whistle.

"You will _lose_ , Chat Noir," Most Valuable Player growled, seeming to become more violent at the challenge from the hero and the civilians alike. "I will score a field goal with your _head_."

The villain's magical helmet seemed to grow a thick metal coating, as though for further protection. As if he needed any more. Chat swallowed.

 _"_ _I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir!"_

But he would protect Ladybug with his life. Letting the chant give him strength, Chat Noir held his stance, prepared to fight. He didn't even think about what would happen when he lost. But he would buy his Ladybug time, and that would have to be enough.

 _"_ _I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir!"_

"I guess this means half-time's over," Chat said aloud, right before Most Valuable Player barreled into him.

Their helmets struck, ringing in Chat Noir's ears, both magical and human. But the Lucky Charm protected him, and Chat pushed back, incredibly thankful for the football practice.

 _"_ _I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir!"_

Lead him away from Ladybug. That was all Chat needed to do. Keeping himself in front of his unconscious partner, he launched himself at Most Valuable Player, striking metal against metal with his baton against the villain's helmet.

Sparks flew, but once again, the akumatized supervillain didn't react with anything but rage. Roaring, he slammed Chat Noir's baton against the ground hard, tossing the cat-themed hero several yards. The crowd gasped.

Chat Noir was fine. He could feel every one of his bones screaming in pain, urging him to stay still and weep, but he was fine. He would be fine as long as he was keeping Ladybug alive.

It also helped that his suit kept him from being terribly affected from being bodily thrown against the ground.

 _"_ _I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir!"_

He pushed himself up, not a moment too soon; Most Valuable Player shot a blast of magic at the spot where his head had been seconds before.

"Close _clawl_ ," Chat quipped, although his heart wasn't in the pun. Shooting another glance at Ladybug, he left himself open for another attack. Most Valuable Player crashed into him, head to head, sending him flying once more.

The crowd chanted with even more vigor.

 _"_ _I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir!"_

This time, Chat used his momentum to land on the top of his baton and spring into the air. _Cat_ apulting himself, he punned inwardly. Then: that one was _pawful_.

Most Valuable Player, not expecting this maneuver, took too much time scrambling to jet into the air after him. Chat Noir used the time to detract his baton in midair and deliver an offensive attack, kicking off of the supervillain and grabbing hold of the bright yellow field goal post. He noticed two things in the split second of time he had to think.

One: goal posts were bigger up close.

Two: goal posts were _wobblier_ up close.

Clawing at the post in a panic to keep ahold of his grip, Chat felt it wobble from his weight. He swung himself over the horizontal bar, trying to keep his balance all the while, moments before Most Valuable Player reached him.

 _"_ _I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir! I believe in Chat Noir!"_

A purple outline lit up in front of the villain's face. "Do not waste time, Most Valuable Player," his employer warned. "Bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous!"

The supervillain nodded sharply. "I will," he said. "And I will win this game!"


End file.
